Become like a child

Matthew 18:3

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

It’s back to school time!  My son will be starting Pre-K at the school at our church.  He is very excited and we love the Christian environment that he is surrounded by.  I was a little caught off in the car yesterday though as we came home from his classroom visit.  We are driving down the road when all of a sudden he decides to tell us that he wants to die.  I told him that if he died I would be very sad.  Of course he comes back with a smart remark and tells me I can just get a new kid. 

I start to question him more on why he wants to die.  His response was very simple, “Because I want to be with Jesus.”  How do you respond to that?  I did the best that I could to tell this sweet 4 year old that he is with Jesus all the time and he doesn’t have to die to be with him. 

Thankfully the conversation didn’t drag on as inside I was breaking.  At the same time, when the Bible talks about we need to become like Children to enter the Kingdom of God, I think the innocence that my son had is exactly it. 

I want to encourage you today to become like a child in your faith.

Thursday Devotional - Firsthand Experience

John 20:2-8  ² So she [Mary Magdalene] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

Peter and John could have taken Mary at her word, but why not see the evidence firsthand? Seeing and experiencing the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection not only helped their immediate belief, but I’m sure it strengthened their confidence for the rest of their lives.

How do you and I seek firsthand experience with God’s evidence? One way is by reading and studying God’s Word personally, looking to know and understand the truth. For starters, you could re-read each day’s devotional passage (or read the verses in the context of the whole chapter) and journal about what you read. Answer questions like: What does it say about God? What does it say about people? What lesson can I apply? What do I find encouraging?    

We can learn from pastors and priests and speakers and podcasts and devotional writers, but nothing takes the place of firsthand experience!

Alice

The Quiet Storm

But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”  Mark 4:37-41

I was reminded of my brother’s wife while dealing with a situation.  She had a nickname of ‘Quiet Storm.’  She had that because of her soft spoken ways but strength that was unrelenting and unmistakable.  Although she passed away over 35 years ago, she left a great impression on all those she touched.  One of them was me.  She was strong in her faith, and I remember when she spoke, she spoke with a subtle seriousness that let me know she was no one to mess with.  Today, I miss her greatly, but am heartened by her spirit that lives in her children and in my memory.  I am reminded that in silence, there indeed can be strength.

God’s strength is within us to do what is necessary.  I read in Mark this story about Jesus, and could never really understand the depth of His strength here.  There was a storm threatening to take down the boat.  The disciples woke Him up in a panic.  The interesting part is the question they ask.  It wasn’t, “Jesus, help us,” or, “Jesus, can you save us, please?”  It was this disdainful almost self-righteous response saying, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”  Reading it now, it made perfect sense!  When you truly do not believe God is who He says He is, you ask questions as if He is not.  All of this commotion, and yet, Jesus is comfortably relaxing.  Then He shows in just a moment His authority saying, “Silence!  Be still!”  All is calm again.  In that moment, we understand the whole point.  In life, we have to endure storms, and we deal with the calamity and chaos that goes with it.  However if we know who Jesus is and we call on Him, we have His quiet strength.  When all around us is falling apart, we can find rest and peace to deal with all that is around us.

In the storms of life, we have the surety that Jesus Christ is our strength and refuge.  We have certainly seen mighty storms recently, but Jesus says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Whether your storms are as visible as they are in Texas or unknown but just as challenging in your heart and soul, find strength in Him.  What is your storm today?  Where are you questioning Jesus when you should be asking Him?  My prayer is that we trust in Jesus Christ; the always dependable ‘Quiet Storm.’  Amen.

Do not covet

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

This week we had a fence put in for the backyard so our dogs and son could run a bit freer.  One of my neighbors was all excited that we were doing it as they like the idea of adding on to it to fence in their yard.  We laughed when they said this because it seems to be that any time we do something, not long after, they are out doing something similar. 

The Bible however tells us that we should not covet what our neighbors have.  This is a hard lesson that we have been trying to teach to our 4 year old, who comes home from daycare and wants something because one of his friends there has it. 

I believe that this is a hard lesson for all of us as we travel through our lives.  I want to encourage you today to guard your hearts from such temptation.

Thursday Devotional - Self-defiling Honor

The Jewish leaders didn’t want any of the bodies on the crosses after sundown (as we saw last week), but who was going to take the bodies, prepare them for burial and bury them? Most of the Jewish leaders made sure they remained “clean” in order to partake in the Passover meal. However, 2 of the 70 Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish religious body) did choose to defile and contaminate themselves in order to give Jesus a proper burial. 

John 19:38-42         ³⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰ Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹ At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Joseph and Nicodemus risked everything to bury Jesus. Not only would they not be able to celebrate the Passover with everyone else, but all of their peer religious leaders would know why! Their choice to follow Jesus would no longer be a secret. Their inward faith was now displayed outwardly as they honored Jesus through His burial.

Are you and I like Joseph and Nicodemus? Are we willing to put everything on the line for what we believe? Or, do we cling to our traditions/comforts/security while partially following Jesus? Did Jesus partially die for us?

What are we still hanging onto and refusing to bury? We can ask for His help to bury old attitudes, desires, habits, fears and thoughts to live the new life He’s given us. Then, you and I can better show our love for Jesus and honor Him, as Joseph and Nicodemus did!

Alice

Run To Win

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27 

My pastor gave an inspiring sermon this past weekend finishing on today’s verses.  I liked it not just for the message and verses but also for it reminded me of my dad.  My father’s eulogy talked a lot about the race he had run, and the eulogist spoke of 2 Timothy 4:7 which said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”  Being a humble servant, I realize that our walk of faith is not a one-day sprint.  It is a marathon, and as marathons go, you have to continually pace yourself.  My pastor spoke of training for the race doing things such as having a dedicated prayer life and maintaining our strength to be able to both encourage and even carry others.  Like marathons, we may not be able to see the end of the race for a while, but you keep running.  You keep reading the word.  You keep showing love to as many people as you can.  Realize in each of those moments, God is preparing us for something bigger and better. 

We must always remember that there are numerous stages in our walk of faith.  Sometimes, we will run easy as if it were a nice stroll in the park (we have peace and comfort in our life).  Other times, we have to run up a hill and exert extra energy (trials and struggles).  Perhaps, we realize we are falling behind the competition, and need to push to catch up (losing our way to God).  And then, we will at times need to sprint to create distance from the competition (overcoming a trial or a major sin).  There are even times where we might need to help someone keep their pace (encouragement and loving selflessly).  No matter where we find ourselves, we must always remember that through all our running there is one finish line, and when we cross it, we should not be running for second place.  All of the other moments of the race lead us to it, and if we do not train hard (continually growing in our faith), we will be ill prepared to have successfully finish. 

God delights whenever we grow to understand Him better.  So if you have felt stagnant in your faith as of late, don’t fret.  Start running even if you're 'out of shape!'  And if you have been running, keep preparing for the next phase of your marathon.  If you are tired and weary, don’t let ‘the wall’ fool you into stopping.  Keep fighting!  Trust God to give you strength to overcome.  Finally if you see the end is near, don’t jog.  Sprint with all you can!  God is at the line cheering you on!  Finish the race and keep the faith!  Where are you in your race?  What changes must you make in your life to be in position to win?  My prayer is that we work continually toward growing in our relationship with Christ or in other words, run to win!  Amen. 

Tues Devo: Tell the difference

Romans 16:17-20 “ Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (NASB)

Hello,

One of the challenges we face in a fast-paced life is slowing down enough to exercise discernment/judgment. We are tuned into things that appease us. We have become accustomed to evaluating what we see/hear first based on how we feel – not on what God’s word says. The smooth speech, said with confidence, pushes us to say “why not..” instead of “why…”

We need to recognize the difference of the words/instructions/suggestions being given to us – do these align with the Bible or no?

I think Paul here as he wraps up his letter to the church in Rome gives 2 we need to see:

·         Recognize who these people are, and turn away from them. Don’t try to draw close.

·         Remember the long term, not the call to satisfy short term desires. The end is known – God will crush Satan.

I pray this encourages you today,

Will Hill

Walk in the light

1 John 2:9-11

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

My dad is not one to speak up often.  He is a quiet man that rarely speaks his mind.  Well, recently there has been some feuding between two of my siblings.  That was when my dad posted the above scripture to Facebook.  As I read this scripture, of course I thought about my siblings and the issues going on there, however my thought didn’t stop there.  I started to think about my brothers and sisters in Christ.

As Christians, we share a heavenly father, making us siblings within God’s kingdom.  We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those in our earthly families. 

If you hate a brother or sister in Christ, you are walking in darkness.  We are called to the light.  We are called to live in the light.  We are called to love our brothers and sisters, therefore nothing can make us stumble.

Do you have a brother or sister (heavenly or earthly) that you need to reconcile with so you can walk in light?  I encourage you to do so now.

Thursday Devotional - Final Passover

Jesus paid our debt in full when He died on the cross. In fact, the Greek for “it is finished” is “paid in full.” Last week we saw how Jesus persevered to the end, declaring “it is finished,” to fulfill God’s plan. Even the timing of when He died and what happened after His death continued to fulfill God’s plan.

John 19:31-37         ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵ The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The Jewish leaders were so concerned about being outwardly clean in order to celebrate the Passover. Crucified before them, though, was the only truly clean and perfect Righteous One. All their previous Passover celebrations pointed to this final Passover sacrifice.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites not to break the bones of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s bones weren’t broken.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites to spill the Passover lamb’s blood and take shelter under it (Exodus 12:6-7, & 13), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s blood was spilt so you and I could take shelter under it.

Jesus was the perfect and final Passover Lamb. Have you accepted Him as your Passover Lamb who died in your place, taking the judgment you deserve? If so, you and I have shelter under His blood for forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and His robe of righteousness!  

Alice

A Time For Prayer

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.  Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:16-18

I struggled for words today.  Inspired by someone sending me verses, I was led to the first chapter of James, which evolved into this prayer, and I hope it lifts your spirits as God and His word did mine.

Father, I come to you for there is none greater than you.  You are the Alpha and the Omega, the all-knowing, the all-seeing, and the all-present.  You are the great I Am.  I am unworthy of the love and grace you have shown me, and I praise you because you are worthy of praise.  I do all I can not to your grace but in the hope that it is a shining example of the heart I have for you.

God, I come to you this morning because frankly, I am at a loss for words and wisdom. I am tired and disheartened by a world that has become comfortable with what is wrong and leaders who will say anything to appease us.  There are people who have turned a blind eye to the suffering of others, and others who lash out violently because they have lost their way.  If they can't be violent, they speak with such ill will that I find myself defending those who I may not even agree with.  How could this be?  I am not sure Lord, but I lean on you now more than ever.  I trust in your word and its ability to give strength at times that I am weak.  To give me courage when I am fearful, and to love when all that may come at me is bitterness and hate.  Help me to love you more such that it not only is a shining example of the love you have shown me but also inspires those to be thankful for your gift of grace.

Heal us Lord.  Heal our sharp words and replace them with Psalms of encouragement.  Take our anger and replace it with an abundance of love and kindness.  Remove our sense of isolation, and push us to engagement and togetherness.  When I cannot see a way out, give me your vision and wisdom for where I cannot make a way, you can.  Father, I am so humbled to be your servant.  Let my words be of comfort to others who are hurting.  Let them know that you are always there.  Always listening.  Always loving!  See through my faults, and use them as encouragement to others that through it all, we all can indeed be conquerors.

Finally, Father, I thank you.  I thank you because you have thought of me even before I knew a thought.  You nurtured me all this time with wonderful parents and brothers.  You placed me in the care of an amazing family that taught me who you were, and then watched me as I wandered in the wilderness until I found you again.  You gave me the perfect wife, three wonderful children, and seven grandchildren.  You gave me this incredible job with amazing people that inspire me every day to do better.  All this love, Father.  I did not deserve it, and yet you somehow loved me enough to give them to me anyway!  I am forever grateful.  I pray that my words are encouragement to others to embrace what they have, and to be courageous to be the people You want them to be.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for your grace.  Thank you for your blessings.  And thank you for the blood you shed on the cross; a price that I could never repay but I humbly try to each and every day.  In the glorious name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.